Visiting Southwell

Reasons for visiting Southwell include The Workhouse, the magnificent 12th century Norman Southwell Minster, its many literary connections and listed buildings and the popular bustling Saturday market.

Southwell is also known for the famous English cooking apple, the Bramley Apple, which has its origins in a cottage garden in Easthorpe.

Arthur Mee in The Kings England said Southwell was "a little place apart from the rushing world." Southwell is a charming market town with many delights to offer the visitor.

Pronounced 'Suth'll' by most visitors and 'South-well' by most residents. Which should it be? Debate rages, quietly.

Southwell Minster

Southwell Minster is the cathedral of Nottinghamshire and one of the finest Norman churches in Britain. Famous for its two lead-capped spires known locally as the ‘pepper pot’ spires it also has a wealth of stone carvings which include intricate foliage of oak leaves, hawthorne, mulberry and vine leaves .

You could visit Southwell Minster a thousand times and you would never tire of this magical masterpiece of the mediaeval stonemasons.

The Archbishop's Palace

The Workhouse

On the edge of the town is the Workhouse. Built in the 1820s it is the best-preserved workhouse in England and was used by homeless families as recently as the 1970s. The National Trust has done a spruce restoration job, but has deliberately left most of the brightly whitewashed rooms empty. There is a powerfully written handbook or audio tour available for visitors.

Shopping and markets

The market place bustles at weekends. Good food is clearly important here, judging by the organic bread and quality cheese, meat and fish on offer. There are also outstanding cafes and restaurants and a regular country market selling home-made cakes and jams, free range eggs, honey and vegetables.

The Bramley Apple

The world-famous cooking apple originated from Southwell from a tree in a garden now known as Bramley Tree House at 75 Church Street, Southwell. It originated from a planting by Mary Ann Brailsford circa 1809-1813.

Sometime before Mary Ann's first marriage in 1813, she planted the pips, core or apple which later grew into the tree bearing the original Bramley Seedling.

The apple is celebrated at the annual Bramley Apple Festival in October. This is a major date in the Nottinghamshire calendar which attracts visitors from across the county to the town.

Lord Byron and Burgage Manor

Nottinghamshire's most famous poet, the "mad, bad and dangerous to know" and "Lord of Misrule", Lord Byron spent three years lodging with his mother, Catherine, at Burgage Manor before they both decamped to Newstead Abbey.

The manor is now occupied by Mr Geoffrey Bond, a Lord Byron doyen and member of The Byron Society.

The Gate to Southwell Festival

Held annually and now considered one of the country's premier music events, the festival has something for everyone including music, dance, a children's festival, arts and crafts, street entertainment and much more.

Friends of Sarzana

Southwell's Town Council has supported a local group's venture by sending a letter of friendship to the Mayor and citizens of Sarzana. The group aim to promote friendship and understanding between the people of Southwell and district and those of Sarzana and district in Italy. They want to encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from towns.

The Saracen's Head Hotel

Saracen’s Head Inn, Southwell is the oldest of Southwell many public houses with its history as a coaching inn going right back to mediaeval times. Much interest has always surrounded the Saracen’s Head for one of the last places visited by King Charles I before he lost his freedom at Newark Castle in 1646.

The Museum of Timekeeping

In the neighbouring village of Upton, the The Museum of Timekeeping's fascinating clock and watch collection is held at Upton Hall.

Southwell Racecourse

Southwell racecourse is a busy racecourse which holds over 50 race meetings throughout the year on both its' All-Weather Flat course and Turf Jumps course.

The Racecourse also hold a variety of non-racing events such as antiques fairs, food festivals, caravan rallies and even The Gate To Southwell Music Festival. Southwell Golf Club is also on the site, with the eighteen hole course, the front nine of which lies within the Racecourse circuit itself.

Reg Taylors Garden Centre

Reg Taylors Garden Centre is a 25 acre site that has been in the Taylor family for well over 60 years. It includes a swan sanctuary with 5 tranquil lakes making it a very popular Nottinghamshire tourist attraction.